


A-Z Road Trip

by DementedPixie



Series: Demented Pixie's SPN Fic [27]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: A-Z, Episode: s13e17 The Thing, Gen, Hurt Gabriel (Supernatural), Hurt/Comfort, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-27
Updated: 2018-05-27
Packaged: 2019-05-14 11:18:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14768552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DementedPixie/pseuds/DementedPixie
Summary: How did Ketch get Gabriel from Hell to the Bunker?(Especially in 26 A-Z steps)





	A-Z Road Trip

Asmodeus, or Assmodeus as Gabriel had come to think of him, cried out in anger as the tyres of the Mustang screeched. Ketch floored the accelerator with determination, obviously focussed on getting the hell out of, well, hell. 

Battered, bruised and mute, Gabriel curled up in the leather of the passenger seat and wrapped his arms around himself. Nervous eyes flickered towards the door mirror to see the reflection of his prison vanishing into the distance. 

Could it really be that he was being rescued? He glanced at his so-called rescuer, remembering the archangel blade that the man had stowed in his pocket. This was the one thing that could kill Gabriel and until it was back in his own possession he wouldn’t believe, couldn’t believe, that he was truly free. 

“Damn it,” muttered Ketch, as he fiddled with the controls of the car. “We’re going to have to stop for fuel. It’s a long way to the bunker.”

Evidently Ketch didn’t require an answer from his passenger, as he hadn’t bothered to stop and tend to Gabriel’s wounds. The stitches pulled on Gabriel’s lips and he whimpered, quietly, to himself. 

Far enough away from trouble at last, Ketch pulled the car into a service station, got out and started to fill the tank with fuel. A loud click indicated that he had remembered to lock his charge inside, presumably to prevent Gabriel from trying to escape. 

Grace called to Gabriel. His grace. All powerful, beautiful, golden, archangel grace. 

He could feel it reaching out to him from the vials that Ketch had hidden in his jacket pockets, the pockets which were now pressed against the window as Ketch leaned against the bodywork, waiting for the fuel tank to fill. 

If only he could reach it… He closed his eyes, concentrating, focussing on the connection with his grace. Trying to draw it into himself through the glass vial, through the material of the jacket, through the window of the car... 

Just as he got close, however, Ketch completed his task, closed the fuel flap and walked away to the service station to pay. Gabriel banged his head back against the seat, frustrated with how weak he felt. 

Ketch had to be using him, there was no other explanation. If he’d wanted to help Gabriel he wouldn’t be holding on to that archangel blade or the grace, and he would have removed those cruel stitches from his mouth. 

Loneliness crept over Gabriel, the feeling of being utterly isolated and alone. Nobody cared about him other than what power he could give them, he had no idea where Ketch was taking him or why, and the future suddenly appeared as bleak as it had during all those years spent in captivity. 

Munching on a sandwich of some kind, Ketch returned to the Mustang, juggling his purchases as he settled in the driver’s seat and slammed the door shut. 

“No need to feed you,” he said, a sarcastic smile playing across his features. “Even if you needed to eat, you wouldn’t be able to. Of course it’s an interesting form of torture, to seal the lips of God’s messenger. I’d almost be impressed if Asmodeus wasn’t such a power-hungry despot.”

Oblivious to Gabriel’s inner turmoil Ketch continued the long drive into the night. 

******

Passing through the countryside at a steady rate, the distance to the Winchesters and the bunker gradually lessened. Ketch’s calm demeanour began to slip as they got nearer their destination, and he seemed to be deliberating over something. 

“Questionable how accepting the Winchesters are going to be,” muttered Ketch, almost as if he were alone in the vehicle. “I mean, I know they have a spell they are trying to complete, but I must admit I’m not expecting them to welcome me with open arms. I’m just hoping they haven’t changed the locks.”

Realising he was being observed by mistrusting, honey coloured eyes, he coughed, nervously. “Ah yes. Well we’ll see, won’t we. You just do your part and all will be well.” Ketch reached out his right hand and patted Gabriel on the shoulder. 

Shaking like a leaf, Gabriel retracted from the unwelcome contact. It had been so long since he had been touched in any way that wasn’t hurtful and now this unknown and untrusted human was trying to make him what? Feel better? That was never going to happen. It was going to take a very special person indeed to bring Gabriel back to his former self. 

Touch had turned into something that terrified him and he was suddenly unable to control his emotions. He curled in on himself, trying to make himself as small as possible as he pushed away from Ketch. 

Unable to prevent them, tears began to roll down Gabriel’s face. 

Violence had not been Ketch’s intention and he muttered a gruff apology before pressing his foot on the accelerator a little more firmly. They weren’t far away now but even a few miles seemed suddenly too much. 

“Well now, Archangel. I admit I will be pleased to hand you over to the Winchesters, if only to see if they have better luck with you.” Ketch took a deep breath to regain some control. “What on earth did he do to you, to turn you into such a basket case, hmm?” Unsurprisingly, there was no reply, as Gabriel tried to hide his face in his own mess of hair. 

“X marks the spot,” muttered Ketch, great relief in his voice as he manoeuvred the Mustang down the pot holed lane that led to the Men of Letters bunker. Knowing the bunker well from his previous visits Ketch drove to the garage entrance and parked up. 

“You wait there a moment. I’ll come around and get you,” he instructed. 

Zoned out almost completely now, Gabriel allowed Ketch to pull him out of the car. There was a moment when Gabriel freaked out again as Ketch tried to help him to walk, so they ended up climbing the stairs separately. They entered a large room with a vaulted ceiling and Gabriel gratefully found a corner in which he could cower. He didn’t know where he was. He didn’t know who he was with. And he was wholly unprepared for whatever was going to happen next. A nice, dark, corner was the safest place by far. And that’s where Gabriel was going to stay, until he was called. But one thing was starting to become clear to him. He was the closest to being free than any other time in the last 8 years.


End file.
